Until the end of time
by Erendyce
Summary: Where there was happiness, sadness was bound to be found. It was only a matter of keeping the balance. It didn't make the pain easier to bear for Luneth. IxL
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

Luneth gulped down his third red fruit milk and put the glass back on the wooden bar silently. Normally, in the same situation, people would have slammed the recipient and some would have even broken it in the process; however, the silver-haired teen was beyond that kind of open display of discontent. The once carefree and cheerful Luneth was nowhere to be seen tonight, at Ur's pub. Instead was seated a pensive boy who merely nodded with a faint smile as the waitress filled his glass again.

One advantage at being one of the Warriors of Light was that all his orders were on the house. Except the alcoholic drinks, the innkeeper had said, knowing perfectly well that Luneth never drank a single drop of alcohol anyway. Tonight, the boy had settled for his favourite drink, but not even the sweetness of the beverage managed to soothe the bitter feeling gnawing him from inside, a bit more every day.

Oh, and he had been counting the days – eighty-three of them – since that glorious date on the calendar when all four brave and valiant Warriors of Light had come back after purging the world from evil. The Rebirth, everyone called it now. It was exactly like those tales Nina used to read to him: adventurers on a mighty quest for good and justice, obstacles and trials on their way that could never beat their unfaltering wills, then the defeat of evil, the return to the homeland with honours and love as rewards.

Love.

Yes, love was always the final reward which every knight hoped to receive in exchange for their heroic actions. The pure and untainted love of a maiden princess, as beautiful as the goddesses of the world and as sweet as honey. Forever and ever.

'_Bullshit.'_ Luneth thought as he found his glass emptied for the fourth time. Tales were by definition a creation of humankind to make up for what reality lacked. Oh, there weren't so many differences between tales and reality, but even the faintest differences could turn joy to sorrow and care to pain.

When Luneth looked closely at it, everything had actually started like in tales. It was only the ending which reminded him in quite a cruel way that he was living in a real world, not in a book. Then again, it depended on the point of view. Anyone else in the village would claim with no hesitation that the epic of the four Warriors of Light was a living tale, and that the knight had even found his princess.

Luneth rested his cheek on the palm of his hand, playing with his glass. The knight and his princess, yeah.

"Do you want something to eat? You know you just have to ask." a kind and cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, no thanks, Meena. I've decided to fill my stomach with milk tonight." Luneth replied with a bright smile. Only his close friends would have noticed the pretend behind that smile.

"That's not good." the girl replied as she slipped a small plate with a slice of strawberry cake in front of Luneth. The latter thanked her before digging in. No matter the situation, he could never resist such a treat, especially when it was his favourite cake. It didn't distract his thoughts enough, though.

The knight. Formerly a guard of his Highness King Sasune, now Great Commander of the Royal Army and Knight of the King's Guard, namely Ingus.

The princess. Formerly a princess of Sasune, now still a princess of Sasune, namely...

'_Drop it.'_ Luneth thought darkly. It wasn't official yet, but rumours spread faster than plague and soon enough all kinds of gossips about how Princess Sara was going to abandon her current title to shoulder that of 'Queen' had reached the ears of every single person on the Floating Continent. And naturally, a queen wasn't a queen without her king. On that point too, rumours were circulating everywhere on who would succeed the old monarch.

One name could be found on most people's lips: Ingus.

'_Ridiculous. He's an orphan with no noble rank whatsoever. He's like me, damn it!'_ Luneth plunged his spoon in the unctuous whipped cream and brought it to his mouth. The sweet taste melted on his tongue and soon faded away.

Exactly the same way his hopes had melted and faded away.

"_Men are so obtuse... Must I say it plainly? I want to stay with you a bit longer! There!"_

The silver-haired boy refrained from letting an annoyed sound come out, but the scowl on his face was an open book to his current sentiment. Or rather, resentment. It was one thing for Sara to utter such words, but it was another one to hear Ingus' answer to them. Any sensible man of his rank would have humbly decline and argue in favour of her duty towards her kingdom. Luneth had been so positive of Ingus' reply that he had almost choked at the blonde's next words.

"_As you wish, Milady. I will stay by your side until the end of time!"_

Luneth unconsciously clenched his fist and the grip around the spoon tightened. No matter how many times those words would echo in his head, the effect they had on him were still as painful as ever. _'Until the end of time, huh? Wish it was tomorrow.'_ the teen thought as he shoved a piece of strawberry in his mouth.

And for the hundredth time, he cursed himself. More exactly, he cursed his own slow reactions at the feelings that had surfaced in him. From the beginning until the end, his slow ability to comprehend them had been his doom.

If everything had happened quickly, it would have been less painful. But no, it had taken time for him to let those foreign feelings build up in him ever since his path had crossed with Ingus'. Days and nights, he had wondered about the uneasiness seizing him, the knots in his stomach, and the rush of blood to his cheeks whenever the blonde male wasn't too far from him, whenever their gazes would accidentally meet over a campfire, whenever their shoulders would brush in narrow caves, whenever Ingus would actually tend to his wounds... Whenever they would argue as well.

Refia and Arc were always the ones to put an end to their ceaseless quarrels, not without exasperated lectures about how the four of them had been chosen to re-establish the balance of dark and light and couldn't afford wasting times on petty arguments. But as the journey had unfolded in front of them, Luneth had come to like looking for trouble with Ingus. After all, it was mainly on those moments that the older male would address him. And slowly, very slowly, Luneth had come to his first conclusion: Ingus' company was actually enjoyable.

Then there had been those stolen moments when Luneth would find himself gazing absent-mindedly at Ingus' sleeping face, darkened by the shadows cast by the dancing flames, and those – oh too rare – minutes at various inns during which they would reveal fragments of their childhoods, anecdotes and whatnot; and those had brought Luneth to his second conclusion: Ingus was now his friend.

How stupid he had been at that time for not realizing sooner that his feelings had nothing to do with friendship. That part only came later, as the four chosen ones fought their final battles for the world's salvation, side by side, swearing on their lives to protect those dearest to them and to defeat evil. Multiple times had Ingus come close to a critical state, and every time Luneth would stop breathing. It was almost comical how the truth always hit at the most desperate times, making Luneth draw his third conclusion: he wanted Ingus to be so much more than his friend.

And then, upon the defeat of Cloud of Darkness, Luneth would never be able to forget the grins they had exchanged, the pats on the back shifting to firm hugs, and the sound of Ingus' laugh against his ear, the mess of silver hair as Ingus ruffled it, and a last smile, gentle and genuine that had made Luneth's heart fail a beat. Therefore came his fourth conclusion: their feelings were mutual.

The only event that had been quick in the whole story was Luneth's hope being crushed with one mere sentence from Ingus:

"_I will stay by your side until the end of time!"_

The silver-haired boy wouldn't have complained if that sentence had been addressed to him. But of course, the dream of getting his own knight for himself was nothing but a dream. A dream which soon turned to a latent poison devouring him slowly as if it enjoyed the mental suffering Luneth was in. For he was stubborn and kept struggling inwardly; it was a foolish battle where a desperate flicker of hope was getting slowly consumed by harsh reality.

Each day that passed saw Luneth's spirit fade a bit more, even if he was still careful not to show it to the other villagers. If Ingus had bothered to come and visit him, maybe he'd feel slightly better. The request was selfish, he knew it, but at least, that idiot could have written him a letter or invited him, Refia and Arc to the castle. But no, the last time Luneth had got any contact with Ingus was eighty-three days ago.

Since the Rebirth, there had been no news from him, no inquiry about how his friends were doing, nothing. As if the whole 'Warriors of Light' adventure was but a distant memory, along with all the bonds that had been created. Perhaps those bonds had been a mere illusion. Perhaps Ingus had temporarily accepted those bonds for the sole sake of his princess, and once the latter was finally ensured to live in a peaceful world, everything else was only a burden to discard.

'_Final conclusion: both Ingus and Sara can live happily ever after and be damned for it.'_ Luneth didn't really like the turn his thoughts were taking. Under normal circumstances, his naturally cheerful character always took over any dark thought he could bear. But now wasn't a normal circumstance. Now he was dealing with something completely alien to him, and he had no idea how to actually deal with it.

Luneth's attention was drawn as he heard someone slipping onto the stool next to him. As Luneth drifted his amethyst eyes to the side, he noticed the newcomer staring at him very seriously.

"Hi, Arc. Aren't you supposed to be with Alus down there?" the silver-haired boy asked as greetings. 'Down there' referred naturally to the continent on the surface.

"Hi, Luneth. I was, until this morning." Arc replied. "Luneth, we need to talk." he added bluntly.

"If it's about my coming to the pub here, I swear I never touch a single drop of alcohol."

"I know you never do. That's not what I'm here for." Arc replied, annoyed. "I've been wondering... what's wrong? And don't play dumb and say you don't know what I'm talking about. I've known you for long enough to notice when you're not acting like yourself."

Luneth let out a sigh of resignation. Of course he knew he couldn't fool the one he considered his brother, and that conversation was doomed to happen one day or another.

"Let's go back home first, OK?" he suggested, and upon Arc's nod, he hopped off his stool, followed by the other boy.

The night was chilly and both boys hurried to the warmth of their house. As soon as Luneth stepped inside his bedroom, he dropped himself on his – undone – bed flat on the back, staring at the dark ceiling while Arc merely sat on his own bed and waited patiently for Luneth to speak.

"I guess I just miss some action. You know, all the fighting and everything." the latter stated after a few seconds of silence. It was a lie, naturally, but Arc didn't need to know the truth. Luneth was convinced that, with time, that issue of his would get solved by itself.

And really, the last thing he wanted was for someone else to learn about his feelings for Ingus. It was simply not right. They were both males, they lived in completely different universes, they were just not meant to be together. Ingus was the highest ranked knight of the kingdom of Sasune and was most certainly going to be crowned king – an event that had never been seen before, but the people would be more than glad to welcome a Warrior of Light as their new king.

Luneth was a mere commoner who, upon his foster mother's request, had taken up a job as a courier on the Floating Continent, to help the Moogles. Arc was working hard to become a renowned scholar, Refia to take after her father's smithy, so it was only normal that Luneth found something to do as well. And travelling around on a chocobo's back wasn't so bad anyway.

The silver-haired boy felt the mattress sagging slightly on the side, and he suppressed the urge to tell Arc to get off his bed.

"Why don't you join King Sasune's guard? You could train and fight there all day long." Arc suggested lightly.

"That's not the same. And I don't want to work for Sasune." Luneth replied, maybe a bit more dryly than intended.

"Why not? The pay is good, and that would reassure Topapa."

"The pay's not a problem. I just don't want to become a guard." Luneth replied, more and more annoyed. And then, Arc pronounced the fated words:

"It's because of Ingus." It wasn't even a question.

Luneth jumped slightly and cursed himself the next second for doing so only served to prove Arc right. He still made an attempt at protesting:

"You silly, why would _he_ have anything to do with this?" His tone was sarcastic.

"You haven't been your usual self since he left. I'm not blind, you know." Arc said, staring straight at Luneth with obvious concern. "Did he do something to you?"

The question almost made Luneth sigh of relief. So Arc didn't suspect anything more than that.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but as I said, I'm just not interested in joining the guard. Must be pretty boring." Luneth replied, carefully avoiding the mention of the blonde male.

"How about you go and ask Ingus directly?"

"Huh? Why would I want to bother going all the way to talk to a jerk who's probably too busy following his princess to deign ask for his friends' news?" Luneth snapped dryly. As he turned his scowling face to the window, he failed to see Arc's victorious expression that was screaming 'I was right about Ingus' all over. Luneth was simply too easy to read.

Taking a deep breath, Arc replied:

"Because the king sent us an invitation to the wedding ceremony of Princess Sara and King Alus, in twenty days." he declared solemnly.

"Engagement ceremony of... wait, what?"

Luneth sat up abruptly, staring at Arc with a frown.

"Did you say with Alus? Not Ingus?" he asked.

Arc nodded with a smile, then from the pocket of his jacket he produced an enveloped which he handed to Luneth. The latter grabbed it, pulled the letter out and quickly read the missive, barely believing his eyes.

"Alus told me I may receive a surprise upon coming back here, and that's what the Moogle brought us today." Arc explained. "Refia got one as well. I was surprised as well, but Alus said that the negotiations were kept secret until an agreement was found for both kingdoms. Most people won't expect that, but I'm sure they'll be please to see both our continents getting closer through such an alliance. And Luneth, you honestly didn't think that Ingus would marry Sara, did you?"

"That's what everyone has been saying. And they look so good together." Luneth scowled, though the last sentence clearly sounded sarcastic.

"Silly, only one with royal blood is allowed to sit on a throne." Noticing that Luneth was keeping silent, Arc smiled. "So, it was all that bothered you about Ingus?"

"Arc, I don't care about him anymore!" the older boy snapped. "He could be the king of the whole continent, he could marry all the girls in the world, I really wouldn't care anymore."

"You still won't tell me what he did to you to deserve such hatred from you?"

Hatred? Luneth bit his lip. Yes, it was the right word. He hated Ingus. No, he didn't. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to feel anything more than disappointment, and betrayal. He still loved Ingus, and it was what was killing him.

"You wouldn't understand." he finally said.

"You can try and explain." Arc insisted, but Luneth shook his head. The brown-haired boy sighed, and after a few seconds of silence, he asked again:

"So, will you come? You'll be able to see Ingus there, and deal with him."

Luneth ignored the last sentence, for the simple reason that it had already popped up in his head even before Arc mentioned it. He'd be able to see Ingus. But would Ingus actually _want_ to see them? To see _him_? He would probably not be in the mood, after being tossed away like that by the princess. Ingus would always remain a knight, nothing more.

'_Serves you right.'_ Luneth thought bitterly. At the same time, those crumbles of hope he had almost forgot about started stirring inside him, instilling foolish thoughts in his mind. Now that Sara didn't want Ingus anymore, maybe the latter would remember those who had fought alongside with. He'd remember Luneth, the arguments, the laughs, the tensions, the talks around the fire, and all their shared moments.

For a second, Luneth's heart softened. For a second only. Then reason took over again. Ingus would never seek consolation in anyone else, his pride prevented him from doing so; and even if he did, Luneth would never be the one to offer him what he sought.

"I'll take your lack of reply as a yes. I'll send a reply saying we'll attend, then." Arc said, interrupting the long silence.

"I won't." Luneth declared sternly.

"Don't be ridiculous. You have no excuse not to go, and Sara and Alus are our friends. They will be disappointed if you don't come."

"They're _your_ friends." Luneth corrected. "To me they're just acquaintances."

"Luneth, stop acting like a kid and tell me what the problem is already!" Arc started losing patience.

"I just don't want to go, what's wrong with that?" Luneth snapped back angrily.

"You have an issue with Ingus. I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, you won't solve anything by staying here and brooding."

"Why do you keep bringing him into the conversation? I told you I don't give a damn about him anymore!"

"Please Luneth, I've known you for long enough to recognize a lie when I see one. You always get itchy whenever someone mentions Ingus' name, you snap at both Refia and me when we talk about visiting him and you don't even bother saying his name! What on earth did he do to you?" Arc insisted, staring with determination at the older boy.

"He did nothing, OK?" the latter let out with clear exasperation. "The problem is not him, it's me. And fine, I'll go to the damn ceremony. Happy? Now I'd like to go sleep, if you don't mind."

With those last words, Luneth fell back on the mattress, turning his back to Arc who sighed silently and shook his head. Before getting off the bed though, he pulled the blanket over Luneth's shoulders and spoke softly:

"I only wish you talked to me more, like brothers would do. Good night, Luneth."

The silver-haired boy hardly suppressed the guilt painted on his face as he heard those last words. And yet, an invisible bulge in his throat prevented him from apologizing.

Twenty days.

Twenty more days before he'd finally see Ingus again. Luneth wasn't so sure whether he was thrilled or disenchanted by the perspective.

** TBC. **

**xxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: This is going to be a three-shot, with probably an epilogue. Hope you enjoyed the first part! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_I will stay with you until the end of time!"_ Now more than ever, as he was gazing outside from the window of his room, Ingus found it quite hard to keep his promise to Princess Sara. He had never expected the girl to take those words so seriously; he had merely stated what any loyal knight would have stated. Still, the joy displayed on Sara's face was still clear in his mind, as were all the minutes they had spent together journeying from places to places before finally going back to the castle of Sasune.

To him, his duty was merely to serve his princess as faithfully as he could, and if one were to ask him whether or not he loved her, he would reply that his love for her was the exact same as the love the people bore towards a right and just sovereign. Ingus wasn't a fool; rumours of his becoming Sara's consort had reached his ears before long, yet he always dismissed them with indifference. He had no time to deal with such ridiculous gossips, even though it annoyed him to no end that people could actually _think_ he was a suitable candidate to the throne. Did they have no brain at all?

Warrior of Light or not, Ingus possessed no royal blood in his veins. That fact alone should have been enough to silence gossipers. Furthermore, going as far as to imply any romantic relationship between him and the princess sounded utterly eccentric. Sara's love for him was the very same she held for all her people. At least, it was what Ingus had strongly believed until that day when they had finally reached the border of the kingdom.

He could still remember the scene as accurately as if it yesterday.

_Sara stopped her chocobo as they came in sight of the castle. Her face didn't reflect the usual cheerfulness she bore every day. Ingus stopped at her side._

"_Is there something troubling you, Milady?" he inquired._

"_...Ingus. We're finally back, aren't we?"_

"_Yes, we are." Ingus replied._

"_I'm supposed to be happy to see Father again, am I not? I'm supposed to be happy to be back among my people, right?"_

"_Yes, you are." Ingus replied again, now feeling unsure about her questions._

"_Then why am I not?" Sara's voice broke into sobs._

"_Milady! Are you feeling sick?"_

"_Yes, Ingus, yes! I'm sick of this life, I'm sick of you!" the girl kept sobbing. "I told you I wanted to spend more time with you, I told you I was glad to have you by my side, I told you that I didn't want to go back to the castle because I would see you less, and despite everything I said, you still don't get it!"_

_Ingus could only stare at her, not expecting the sudden outburst of sentiments and unable to find any comforting words._

"_You don't get it at all!" Sara repeated. "Or you refuse to get it! Am I so unworthy of you, Ingus? Because I am not one of the proud Warriors of Light? If I had been Refia, surely you would return my feelings, am I wrong? Answer me, Ingus!"_

_It only took a second for the blonde knight to grasp the full meaning of Sara's words. She loved him. Not in the way he had always believed. The realization fell on him like a blade. He had been mistaken all along and had allowed Sara to nourish false hopes about him. He was unforgivable. He got off his chocobo and held Sara's hand in his._

"_Milady, I would give my life for you. You are the princess of Sasune and you work hard for the kingdom. Never would I think that you are unworthy of anyone." Ingus replied, hoping with all his might that his choice of words was wise. But Sara shook her head frantically._

"_But you refuse to reciprocate my feelings." she said, blinking away tears._

"_I... I deeply apologize. Please forgive me for not realizing it sooner."_

"_It's fine. In a way I knew this would not be possible." Sara replied with a hiccup. Much to Ingus' relief, it seemed that the princess was calming down. "Let's go back. Father is waiting for our return."_

From that day on, Ingus had buried himself under his duties towards the crown, not trying to avoid Sara but not encouraging meetings with her either. Loneliness often seized him, prompting him to unconsciously seek more work to distract his mind, but the latter would leave him in peace.

His thoughts were constantly directed at his three friends. Refia, Arc and Luneth. He had sworn to spare some time to pay them a visit, or to at least send them a letter, but work kept delaying his plans, and without his realizing it, almost three moons had passed. How were the three others doing? Refia was probably a skilled blacksmith now, and Arc – from what Ingus heard – was very appreciated among the scholars of both continents. As for Luneth...

Luneth's whereabouts were a mystery to Ingus. Since the day the boy had gone back to Ur, Ingus hadn't heard anything on his activities. And whenever he thought of Luneth, he couldn't help but frown a little. Something had been troubling him ever since they had walked their separated paths, and no matter how petty it could sound, Ingus could feel in his guts that he was missing something important.

He had been convinced that by the end of their journey, Luneth and he were friends. They certainly had gone through a lot of discordances, but the changes had been noticeable throughout their quest; Luneth would talk more to him, he would smile more at him, he would even offer him words of comfort on the rare moments when Ingus felt like giving up. And Ingus had come to enjoy Luneth's company.

So why? What had he done to Luneth for the latter to change so abruptly?

_Sara turned away, but Ingus didn't miss the faint blush on her cheeks._

"_Men are so obtuse... Must I say it plainly? I want to stay with you a bit longer! There!"_

_Oh. Of course. Sara wanted to enjoy a bit of freedom before resuming her royal duties at the castle. It was understandable. And naturally, she couldn't afford travelling all by herself, even if the world had returned to a peaceful state. It was Ingus' duty to accompany her and protect her._

"_As you wish, Milady. I will stay by your side until the end of time!" he replied, earning a bright smile from the princess. And then, without really understanding why, he turned his gaze to Luneth, and what he saw confused him._

_Intense hurt. Those were the only words that came to his mind as amethyst eyes crossed sapphire ones. It only lasted a second though, as Luneth quickly turned away, pretending to talk to Arc; but Ingus was certain of what he had read in Luneth's expression. And it left an unpleasant feeling in his stomach._

The same question kept nagging him over and over again: what exactly had he done for Luneth to look at him with such an expression? Pain, mixed with sadness and silent reproach. Those were the last emotions Ingus had seen on Luneth's face. And the avoidance that ensued. Luneth had completely ignored him when he had bidden the younger boy farewell. Why? If Ingus knew, he would go and apologize right away, but every time his mind was set on visiting Ur, another part of himself always whispered at him to wait a bit more, as if he actually feared to meet Luneth.

As if he feared the other boy would reject him.

It sounded ridiculous, Ingus was well aware of it, yet the strength with which those eyes had stared at him made Cloud of Darkness look as gentle as a chocobo. Normally, Ingus wouldn't have bothered too much about Luneth giving him the cold shoulder; they were friends but not close ones. 'Comrades' would probably suit better. However, the blonde knight didn't feel at ease with their separating in such an awkward way.

But now, he was given the opportunity to do what he had failed to do so far. In a bit less than a moon, the wedding ceremony of Princess Sara and King Alus would take place within the castle of Sasune, and naturally invitations had been sent throughout both continents. Arc, Refia and Luneth would surely come. They'd meet again, all four of them for the first time since the Rebirth. And Ingus would finally get the chance to understand what went wrong between him and Luneth.

But what if Luneth didn't come? No, there was no reason for him not to come. Still, what if? Ingus would miss another opportunity to talk to the boy. And this time, it would most probably be his last opportunity before long.

Ingus bit his lower lip at the thought. He still couldn't believe Sara had made such a request, using those words he had uttered on that day. _I will stay with you until the end of time._ How stupid he had been not to think of the consequences of such words! Not so long ago, he would have rejoiced to be able to serve the crown in any way possible, yet he had gradually become aware of that constant weariness of assuming the role of the highest ranked knight of the kingdom, one of the saviours of the two continents, the living example of righteousness admired and adored – the thought sent chills down his spine – by the people. Was it possible to rewind back in time and start over again? The rhetorical question left a bitter taste in Ingus' mouth.

More importantly, how could he make Sara understand that he didn't want to leave castle Sasune, he didn't want to leave the Floating Continent, he didn't want to leave the one place his friends lived in?

Of course, there were regular ships linking both continents, but the trip usually took at least half a moon, and Ingus was certain that all the new duties he'd be given down there in Saronia wouldn't leave him enough time to travel. Consequently, the ceremony would be the last time he would see his friends before long. The thought of it elicited a silent sigh from Ingus. He wasn't even sure he would be able to spend some time with them, given how Sara would probably drag him along with her to introduce him proudly to all the nobles of the Surface Continent.

As if he was some sort of trophy. That was how Sara had been treating him since the day they had returned to Sasune. Hopefully getting married to Alus would make her feel less resentful towards Ingus.

A knock on his door snatched him out of his unpleasant reflexions. As he gave permission to come in, a pageboy appeared from behind the door.

"Princess Sara requests your presence in her study as quickly as possible, Sir." he said.

"Is it an urgent matter?" Ingus inquired, suppressing a sigh. She _always_ requested his presence as quickly as possible, though half the time any other knight could have handled the job.

"It didn't look so, Sir."

Ingus made the quickest decision of his life.

"In that case, tell the princess that I have an urgent matter to deal with first and that I will be away from the castle for a few hours."

"But..." The pageboy looked unsure of what to do.

"I believe the kingdom won't collapse simply because I'm away, am I wrong?"

"No, you are right, Sir. I will inform her right away, Sir."

Ingus nodded shortly, dismissing the boy, then grabbed his cloak.

He wasn't going to wait twenty days.

* * *

><p>The village of Kazus saw a quiet afternoon ending, like every day. Each villager had their usual routine: the children were playing outside despite the faint chill, the mothers were gossiping with groceries bags under their arms, the fathers were working or enjoying some beer at the pub. Refia was melting a faulty blade in the forge, for the third time now.<p>

Wiping off beads of sweat from her forehead, she put the chunk of metal back on the anvil and sat down with a heavy sigh. She had made a lot of progress in the art of forging, but today she was attempting to shape a unique, outstanding blade. She wanted the weapon to be light yet strong, long yet balanced, and with sophisticated carvings in the hilt. Her father had refused to provide her with any help, stating that it was her own challenge and that it would become meaningless if he took part to it.

Refia swore to herself not to give up until she forged the perfect sword for Alus, as a wedding gift. For Sara, she didn't know yet what to offer, but there was still time.

"Refia?"

The familiar voice made her jump. She turned her head to the open entrance of the smithy and narrowed her eyes at the silhouette standing under the frame. Her ears hadn't betrayed her.

"Ingus." she said.

The blonde knight noticed immediately the neutral tone. It wasn't particularly cold, but neither was it warm or welcoming. He had expected otherwise, especially after so much time without seeing each other. Refia's next words confused him even more:

"Have you talked to Luneth?" she asked.

"Luneth? Not yet. I've just arrived and thought I'd pay you a visit first." Ingus replied.

Refia shook her head, visibly annoyed, and made a dismissing gesture to him.

"I'm not the one you should pay a visit to first." she said. "I didn't expect you'd be so coward as to wait this long before showing up, though." Her tone was still neutral, though the choice of words conveyed the message well enough.

And it made Ingus snap.

"Will you at least explain to me the reason why you call me a coward? I've been working nights and days at the castle, with barely enough time for myself, and now that I finally managed to get some spare time, this is the welcome I receive? And what exactly is the problem with Luneth?" he let out, anger rising within him. "Or with you?"

Refia stared at him in disbelief, before standing up and striding to him. She stood there, both fists on her hips.

"With me? The problem is not about me, Ingus." she replied, now more dryly. "The problem is about what you did to Luneth. And since Luneth's my friend, you can't really expect me not to be pissed at you."

"And I'm asking you again: what did I do to Luneth?" Ingus retorted with a hint of exasperation.

Again, disbelief reflected in Refia's eyes. Frowning, she asked cautiously:

"Are you seriously telling me you have no idea why Luneth has been spending all his time brooding and depressing?"

"Depressing? I didn't even know he was depressing!" Ingus replied, now utterly shocked. It was hard for him to imagine the reckless and cheerful silver-haired boy depressing.

"Of course you didn't know! You never bothered to know! You didn't give a single sign of life since you left, you didn't even bother replying to the letters Arc has been sending you! And Luneth, that damn idiot, he always keeps smiling at everyone as if nothing's wrong, but he can't fool my eyes, nor Arc's!" Refia burst out. Then, cooling down, she asked on a lower tone: "Ingus, do you really have no idea about what you did to Luneth?"

As the latter shook his head, Refia went on with a sigh:

"Do you at least know how Luneth feels about you?"

"It seems to me he despises me." Ingus replied sullenly, which made the girl roll her eyes.

"He doesn't _despise_ you, you idiot. Far from that."

"Forgive me if I find it hard to believe. The last time I saw him, he looked at me as if he was about to kill me."

Refia forced a laugh. "You're as obtuse as Sara said you are." she said. "But enough talking. Go find Luneth. He should be at the pub right now. No, wait. Go find Arc first, it may be wiser. Perhaps he'll tell you how to deal with Luneth in a better way than me." As she noticed Ingus still not moving, she urged him: "Come on, don't stand here stupidly! Go!"

With a quick nod, Ingus hurried to his chocobo and left Kazus, more troubled than ever. By the time he reached Ur, the sky was seared with red and orange and the sun was casting its last rays over the landscape. The village hadn't changed at all, Ingus noticed, and he found his way to Topapa's house with no difficulty. A few inhabitants were still outside, chatting and not paying attention to the newcomer, which was more than fine to Ingus.

On the doorstep, he was about to knock when a voice behind him stopped him.

"Ingus? Is that you?"

The knight had no trouble recognizing Arc's soft voice, and as he turned round, he saw the brown-haired boy looking at him, smiling. Ingus felt relief at the smile. At least there was still one who didn't hold a grudge against him.

"Arc, I'm glad to see you." Ingus greeted him.

"And I was wondering if you'd ever come and visit us." Arc replied. "Why have you never replied to my letters?"

"Refia also mentioned your letters." Ingus replied, frowning. "But the truth is, I've never received any."

It was Arc's turn to frown. "What? I sent two of them, two and one moons ago."

"I swear none of them reached my hand, or I would have replied, for sure."

Arc shook his head. "Never mind. The letters don't matter anymore. Are you here to see Luneth?" he asked. His smile was replaced by a serious expression.

"I... Yes, I am." Ingus replied. "Arc, I need you to explain to me first. Refia said you would be able to do that. Honestly, I have no idea what's happening with Luneth, but I understand that I hurt him, one way or another, and I want to fix that. I really do."

"Refia? She overestimated me. I know Luneth has been acting strange and I know that it has something to do with you, but I think Refia knows more than me, she's always had a sharper eye when it comes to analyzing people's feelings." Arc replied, looking thoughtful. Ingus sighed.

"She said Luneth doesn't despise me. I don't get what she meant, because the last time I saw him, he looked... hurt."

Arc lowered his head, trying to put all the pieces together.

Luneth's words. _"I don't care about him anymore."_ Which meant that he did at some point.

"_And they look so good together."_ Sara and Ingus. There had been obvious sarcasm in Luneth's tone.

"_The problem is not him, it's me."_ So it wasn't something Ingus did?

And Refia thought that Luneth didn't despise Ingus.

He was hurt by Ingus. How could he not despise him?

"_You wouldn't understand."_

Arc blinked once, then twice as the conclusion slowly appeared in his mind. It was so obvious Arc felt like hitting himself for not noticing it earlier. _'Luneth, really, you're an idiot.'_

"Ingus, I think I know what the problem is. However, I also think it is not my place to tell you. Only Luneth can tell you." Arc finally said. "You must go and see him. No, wait. He must be at the pub right now, so it's not the best place for you two to talk. Go wait for him in our room, I'll bring him to you."

As he was about to leave, Arc turned to Ingus once again and add hesitantly:

"It will probably be difficult, but please bear with him, and... as much as you can, please don't hurt him more than he already is. And be patient. He still acts like a kid, you know."

Ingus nodded. "I will."

**TBC.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: And chapter 2 is up! Gosh, the lack of Ingus/Luneth love makes me despair -_-. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Luneth wasn't in a particularly bad mood today, therefore Arc didn't have any trouble convincing him to go back home and play cards with him. It was a lie, naturally, but Luneth would have suspected something if Arc had told him a visitor was waiting for him.

Both boys climbed the stairs to their room, and before Luneth even stepped inside, he froze at the person standing there. Furious, he turned to Arc:

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Luneth, you need to stop running away from your problems and deal with them. Ingus has gone through the trouble of coming here, now I want you two to settle whatever you have to settle, and I won't let you leave this room before you agree to talk to Ingus." Arc replied, dead serious.

"And how do you intend to prevent me from leaving the room?"

"I'll paralyze you. And I also give permission to Ingus to do so as well, if necessary."

Luneth cursed under his breath. Damn Arc and his wizard formation. Damn the other jerk and his red mage formation.

"Fine." he snapped dryly. "I got it. Now get out of the room."

With a smile, Arc vanished. Luneth closed the door behind him and leant against it, looking away from Ingus. He couldn't believe that Arc had tricked him like that, putting him in the presence of the object of his torments. It was too sudden. And how the hell was he supposed to settle things with Ingus? He cursed Arc again. Easier said than done.

He heard footsteps getting closer to him, and the next thing he knew, he was staring straight into sapphire eyes. He failed at suppressing the rush of blood on his cheeks and his only reaction at that moment was to push Ingus away and stride to his bed where he sat down, gazing at the floor.

"Luneth, I... I apologize if I hurt you in any way." Ingus finally spoke, trying to ignore the discomfort of the situation.

"You don't even know why you're apologizing for." Luneth mumbled, still not meeting Ingus' gaze.

"I hoped you'd explain it to me. I really feel stupid for not figuring it out myself, but no matter how much I tried, I can't find the offence I did to you." Ingus chose his words carefully.

And how was Luneth supposed to explain it? The discussion had barely started, and Luneth was already annoyed by it. He wanted it to be over as soon as possible. And there was a really easy way for that. He just needed to tell Ingus the truth. Just a few words, and everything would be over.

Over.

Ingus would probably be shocked – and even disgusted – by the confession, but at least it would be over for good. Luneth wouldn't need to torture his mind any longer about the man standing in front of him.

"Just sit down." Luneth said, giving an annoyed gesture towards Arc's bed, next to his. He waited for Ingus to comply before going on: "You didn't do any offence to me. Not directly, at least."

"Not directly?" Ingus frowned.

Luneth cursed himself. Had he really said that last sentence out loud? Well, it was too late to turn back now. He stood up and walked to the window, though there wasn't really anything to see outside as night was slowly taking over.

"I was jealous." he murmured, though loud enough for Ingus to hear.

"Jealous?" The latter repeated, confused.

"Yes, jealous!" Luneth let out with clear frustration in his voice. "You, and Sara! It's ridiculous and childish, I know, but at that time I had never expected you to follow her like that."

Ingus blinked several times; he hadn't expected the reason for Luneth's behaviour to be something so... simple? He stood up and went to stand by Luneth's side then, putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, he gently replied:

"I'm sorry, Luneth, I didn't know. But all the rumours you may have heard about the princess and me are wrong. I've never had any other feelings for her than my duty towards her."

"Never?" Luneth asked suspiciously, his eyes round in surprise. Ingus shook his head and smiled.

"Never. Now, about the marriage, if you don't want to come, I'll understand it very well and I'll give the princess an excuse for you." Ingus added, patting Luneth's back. The silver-haired boy stiffened slightly at the gesture, but managed to control his voice as he asked back:

"Why wouldn't I want to come?"

"Well... It's perfectly understandable for you not to stand seeing Princess Sara getting married with another man."

It took Luneth several seconds to understand the implication of Ingus' words, and when he did, he turned to face the knight and slapped his hand away in anger.

"For Ifrit's sake! How idiot can you be? I don't give a crap about her! When I said I was jealous, I meant jealous of _her_, not of you!" he burst out before striding away to the door.

By the time Ingus fully registered Luneth's reply, the younger male was already out after slamming the door behind him and Ingus could hear the quick footsteps climbing down the stairs. _'First Sara, and now Luneth? For Shiva's sake! How many times must I make the same mistake?'_

And for the first time in ages, the knight felt fear. Fear to realize the true meaning behind Luneth's words, fear of what he was supposed to do now, fear to hurt the other boy despite promising Arc he wouldn't. But he couldn't afford letting Luneth go without a proper reply. It was the least he could do.

He dashed out of the room and after Luneth, giving an apologetic nod to Arc on his way downstairs. Outside, he easily spotted Luneth' silhouette walking away and ran after him.

"Luneth!" he called as he caught up to the other boy, but the latter wouldn't stop. "Please don't make me use a spell on you."

Apparently that last sentence was enough to convince Luneth to pause and turn round. The surrounding houses were emitting enough light for Ingus to see Luneth's expression, and his heart sank at the sight. It was the same hurt which he had seen on that day, and probably Luneth's reddened eyes made it more painful to watch.

"What else do you need?" Luneth asked with sheer irritation. "I gave you the explanation you wanted, aren't you satisfied with it?"

"Luneth, calm down and listen to me!" Ingus snapped. It got the expected result. Luneth stiffened and looked away, silent. "Good. Now listen. I had no idea that you... felt like this about me, and I can't apologize enough for hurting you."

"It's fine." Luneth mumbled. Then, with a faint hesitation, he asked: "So... with Sara... you never... I mean..."

"Never." the blonde male smiled.

And suddenly, Luneth felt immense and absurd hope filling him. Hope that this may actually end like in those tales, hope that Ingus actually cared more than what he had thought.

Yet the knight's next words reminded him too cruelly that they weren't living in a tale.

"Luneth, I came here to understand, and I'm glad I do now, but I also came to inform you all about... my definitive departure."

The moment he saw those distraught amethyst eyes on him, he instantly regretted having pronounced those words. But Luneth had to know, especially after this turn of event.

"After the wedding," he continued, trying to keep his voice calm, "I'll follow Princess Sara to Saronia to assist her and King Alus there."

"Oh." was all Luneth could find to reply as he lowered his head. Of course. How had he dared hope for a good ending?

"I've been ordered to. I don't have much choice, even if... I'd have preferred staying on the Floating Continent with you all." Ingus went on, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Bullshit." Luneth muttered, much to Ingus' surprise. The younger boy raised his eyes to him, frowning in defiance. "You're a Warrior of Light, you freaking saved the world, and still, you have to listen to some crappy orders you don't even agree with? I don't remember the Ingus I fought along with was so weak-willed." he snapped.

"Luneth I..." Ingus started before realizing he didn't know what to reply. Before realizing that Luneth was right.

"Enough. Thank you for coming here. I guess you must have a tight schedule at the castle and I don't want you to waste any more of your time here." Luneth put an end to the conversation for both of them.

And then, something unexpected happened: as Luneth walked past Ingus, he gave the latter a faint smile and a quick pat on the shoulder, before heading to his house. Maybe it was because of the lack of light, but the only emotion Ingus managed to read on that smile was sheer melancholy.

* * *

><p>Sara was pacing back and forth in her study, deeply lost in thoughts. One could have supposed she was anxious about her coming marriage, but one would have been wrong. Her thoughts – and frustration – were towards Ingus. It was the first time he hadn't presented himself to her upon her request, and somehow she wasn't convinced about that 'urgent matter' of his, as the pageboy had reported.<p>

What matter could be more urgent that her summoning? And what matter requested him to leave the castle? Ingus was an orphan; therefore he had no family to care about. And as for his friends... Sara had made sure since the beginning that Ingus would be given no time to pay them a visit. She had even burnt the letters Arc had written.

Her acts weren't worthy of her rank, she was well-aware of it, but if she couldn't get Ingus' attention, then there was no reason his friends could. The few times Arc or Refia had dropped by the castle, she had sent a messenger to inform them that Ingus was absent.

But today it seemed that her plans had failed. Ingus had left the castle to the east, she had been reported. In that direction were the villages of Ur and Kazus. Sara stopped pacing and bit her lip.

It was time for her to stop that childish game. Ingus was free to choose whomever he wanted as friends, and his loyalty to her was already more than what she could ask for. A doubt seized her mind: what if Ingus decided to stay on the Floating Continent? The princess shook her head. No, that was impossible. She had given him the clear order to prepare moving to Saronia.

And Ingus had promised to stay by her side forever. He was no man to betray his word.

* * *

><p>Trumpets and drums announced the beginning of the ceremony. Hundreds of people had gathered to Sasune for the exceptional event, wearing their most sophisticated and colourful attires. Bards were already composing new songs in honour of the new sovereigns. Jugglers and tamers were performing on the main scene of the castle. Flowers were scattered everywhere by children and royal cooks were presenting their best breads, appetizers and pastries. The official wedding banquet was reserved to a restricted number of people only.<p>

In the middle of the buzz, Ingus found it hard to keep security tight. The mood was too cheerful and most guards were actually enjoying the festivities along with the people; Ingus couldn't blame them for that, even if he was completely uninterested by celebrating with the others. The only event he was looking forward to was the banquet where special seats had been assigned to the four Warriors of Light.

At the time of the banquet, however, only three out of the four seats were filled. And to Ingus' silent question, Arc and Refia could only shake their heads apologetically.

The whole day passed, with no sign of a certain silver-haired boy.

Ingus swallowed back his disappointment. Tomorrow he would leave the Floating Continent definitely.

* * *

><p>Upon Arc's insistence, Luneth had agreed to write a letter to send his best wishes to King Alus and Queen Sara, and he found it to be a more difficult task than what he had imagined. Right now, the quill in his hand refused to move and the piece of parchment was desperately empty. That stupid Arc could have at least helped him a bit!<p>

When he had asked him about the ceremony, the latter had merely qualified it as 'good', with no more precisions. Luneth's tongue was itching to ask whether Ingus had inquired about him or not, but a part of him kept deciding stubbornly against it. Now Ingus was probably en route to the Surface Continent, by Sara's side.

Not that it changed anything for Luneth. Even when he was still on the Floating Continent, one couldn't say the two of them met very often, after all. Still, there was something heavier in Luneth's stomach today, and he was smart enough to know the weight wouldn't disappear before long.

He had been stupid from the beginning to the end. Waiting, waiting and waiting again. All the more as his assumptions about Ingus and Sara had been wrong all along. Would things have turned out different if Luneth hadn't let his relationship with Ingus stagnate like that? Would Ingus have stayed if Luneth had asked? Probably not. Ingus wasn't the type to get past the stage of friendship, especially with Luneth.

Shaking his head, the silver-haired male forced himself to focus on the letter.

The attempt failed again as someone knocked on the door of his room. The faint annoyance that appeared on his face quickly vanished as he recognized who was standing there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed.

His eyes opened wide and his heart failed a beat.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" he asked, putting down his quill. "You said you..." A knot in his throat prevented him from speaking any further.

"...Would leave to Saronia permanently?" the newcomer finished for him. A gentle smiled appeared on his lips. "I've changed my mind."

"But..."

"Luneth, you were right. I was a coward. That problem is now fixed."

"So you asked to stay back?"

A nod.

"And Sara agreed to it so easily?"

A shake of head.

"She didn't. Therefore I resigned from my position, but King Sasune decided it was a waste and chose to keep me as a mere guard instead. Now I have a lot more free time for myself, and for my friends. For you."

"Ingus..."

The blonde male's smile broadened as Luneth finally uttered his name.

"So, what now?" Luneth inquired, still uncertain about what to do. Ingus shrugged.

"I'm not sure. You tell me."

"But... you don't..." Luneth paused, slightly embarrassed, then gathering his courage, asked the fated question: "You don't return my feelings, do you?"

"Again, you tell me. I've decided to stay here because I realized I couldn't stand moving far away from you. Because I knew that I'd regret it before even reaching Saronia. Because I felt that my place wasn't at Queen Sara's side, but at yours. I'm not sure what it means yet. What does it tell you?"

Luneth lowered his head, but it wasn't enough to conceal the smile on his lips.

"It tells me that you're as much an idiot as ever."

_And until the end of time._

**xxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: And only an epilogue left! Though I was tempted to leave the story like that XD And The Trailblazer, thank you for deigning to review my stuff. You've won a fanart of Ingus/Luneth which I'll make once I have time (...)**


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

There were days when Ingus would regret his choice to stay in Castle Sasune as a simple guard, for he had forgotten after his promotion how uneventful the life of a mere guard was. It was just a matter of standing somewhere in the castle, unmoving, until his shift was over. In Ingus' case, his spot was at the doors of the throne room. Usually another guard was on duty with him, yet the latter had requested an emergency leave to visit a relative who was apparently about to pass away in the following days. Therefore Ingus was all alone, and despite the fact there were always servants and castle staff walking by, they didn't particularly entertain him that much.

On those specific days, Ingus would start thinking about what his life would have been if he had chosen to follow Sara and keep his previous rank. For once he wouldn't be so bored; he'd have been able to travel around the continent, to keep forming the novice knights and his pay would be much higher. He almost missed the times when he would risk his life on a daily basis to retrieve the crystals and attempt to protect the world.

Today was one of those days. Fortunately enough, his shift ended soon, and it was with silent relief that Ingus saw another guard coming to replace him. A nod, a few exchanged words and the blonde knight was off to his room, on the western wing of the castle where the soldiers' dormitories were located. King Sasune had been kind enough to grant Ingus a room of his own though. The king had insisted on giving Ingus some favours to make up for Sara's selfish request to have Ingus follow her everywhere; despite the latter's protests that he didn't want any special treatment.

Well, on those brooding days of his, he was actually happy to have his own private room to go back to. A warm dinner, a hot bath, then he'd spend some time writing his journal, read, maybe attend the evening entertainments in the throne room for a while, and sleep his boredom away. Ingus climbed the stairs to his room and noticed that the door was unlocked.

Normally, any person would have frowned in that kind of situation, but Ingus knew better than that. He smiled and pushed the door open. As expected, a familiar figure was sitting comfortably on his bed, eating from a bowl of fruit.

It was always on those days that Ingus was reminded of why he had chosen to stay on the Floating Continent.

"Could you stop picking my lock whenever you come here, Luneth?" he asked, pretending to be annoyed. Luneth wasn't fooled, however.

"If I don't train my skills from time to time, they'll become rusty." the boy replied with a grin. "I need to keep myself in shape."

Ingus let out a small sigh. "I'm not sure that reason is valid enough. And anyway, couldn't you have waited tomorrow on my day off?"

"But I had a hunch that you needed to see me today." Luneth replied, tilting his head on the side. His answer left Ingus puzzled for a few seconds before he smiled and sat down next to the boy. No matter how many times it happened, Luneth's empathy always impressed him and made him feel guilty at the same time. Guilty, because he was very well aware of his own ignorance when it came to other people's feelings, and that ignorance had ended up with more than one misunderstanding.

"Though I can leave if your Highness is too busy to receive my humble self." Luneth added as he pretended to stand up, but a pair of arms caught him before he could move away, and pulled him back against a strong chest into a welcoming embrace.

"You're not going anywhere, Luneth." Ingus murmured at his ear.

"That's a much better answer." Luneth replied, grinning. "Now, let's try to lighten your mood a bit."

And then, as the evening unfolded in front of them, the reasons that had made the blonde male stay came back to him, one by one. The feeling of Luneth's lips on his own, those fingers laced with his own, the soft giggles as he would kiss Luneth's pale neck, the warm skin under those clothes so quickly discarded, that pliant body under his, arching of pleasure under his touch, his name being gasped in the most inviting way in the middle of ruffles of sheets, and the fever consuming them both until exhaustion would finally take over them, leaving them completely oblivious of hours passing.

And by the time morning came, the mere fact of not waking up alone was a sign that the day wasn't going to be so bad.

The end of time would come before Ingus regretted his choice.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: There, an epilogue for those who wanted a bit more of Ingus/Luneth *cough*The Trailblazer*cough* XD  
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